OCN Our Community News
PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID MONUMENT, CO PERMIT NO. 32
N
W
E
S
**ECRWSS** Postal Customer
Volunteers reporting on community issues in Monument, Palmer Lake, and the surrounding Tri-Lakes area
Free
Issue #265 — Volume 23 Number 4 — Saturday, April 1, 2023
OCN needs your help! See page 29
D38 at the state capitol
Local Events Readers should assume that event information published in this issue is subject to change and information should be confirmed a day or two before the event by calling the information number or checking the organization’s website. See pages 29-31 for event locations and other details of these and many other local events. •
EGGStravaganza, Fox Run Regional Park, Fri., Apr. 7, 7:45-8:30 pm
•
Wildland fire information workshop, Apr. 8, 9-12
•
Free home buying class, Thu., Apr. 13, 5:30 p.m. -7:00 p.m. See ad on page 5.
•
Monument Fire District/Donald Wescott Fire Protection District Pancake Breakfast and Push-In Ceremony, Sat., Apr. 15, 10 am.
•
100+ Women Who Care Bi-Annual Meeting, Wed., Apr. 19, 5:00pm
•
Susan Helmich Fine Jewelry. special event, Wed.-Thu, Apr.19, 20. See ad on page 13..
•
Palmer Lake Historical Society, Thu., Apr. 20, 7:00 pm
•
Town of Monument Arbor day celebration, Fri., Apr. 28
•
YMCA healthy kids day, Sat., Apr. 29. See ad on page 6.
•
Our Community News mailing day, Thu., May 4, approx. 9 am–2 pm. Information on page 29.
•
Peter Pan, Sun., May 7. See ad on page 5.
•
Taste of Tri Lakes Cares, Tue., May 9, 5:30 p.m. See ad on page 21.
•
YMCA summer day camp, starts Tue., May 30
•
Front Range Maker’s Market, Sat., June 17, 8:30am-3pm. See ad on page 21.
In this issue School District 38 News 1-9 County News 1, 9-12 Monument News 12-13 Palmer Lake News 13-16 Water & San District News 16-20 Fire District News 20-22 HOA and WIA News 22-23 Weather 23-24 Letters amd Columns 24-26 Snapshots 26-28 Notices and Calendar 28-31 OCN Information 12, 16, 28, 31-32
Above: On March 1, a delegation of community members, parents, educators, board members, and the administrators from D38 took a trip to the state capitol to meet with state legislators and attend both House and Senate sessions. The trip was arranged by district lobbyist Amy Attwood and gave the district a chance to forge relationships and make the case for increased funding for K-12 education. Attendees were able to meet with Rep. Don Wilson, D20 Monument; Sen. Mark Baisly, SD-4, Sen. Paul Lundeen, SD-9, and Sen. Janice Marchman, SD15. All have Education Committee assignments. Wilson and Lundeen are local to the Tri-Lakes area and March-
man is a working teacher. The group also got to sit in on part of a House and Senate session and watch a debate on Senate amendments to HB23-1064 Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact designed to make it easier for teachers, especially active military members and eligible military spouses, from one member state to receive a teacher’s license from another member state. The amendments were rejected, the bill was passed in the Senate, sent to the governor, and signed into law. In the photo from right to left are Leah Braaten, elementary teacher; Alexandra Seabourn, reading interventionist; Amy Sienkowski, middle school assistant principal; Tiffiney Upchurch,
board member; Cynthia Eversole, music teacher; Chris Thomas, kindergarten teacher, Brett Ridgway, chief business officer; Carolyn Bedingfield, grandmother; followed by several other attendees up through KC Somers, D38 superintendent. Not shown are: Char Armstrong, psychologist; Jackie Burhans, community member and parent alumni; Courtney Bushnell, business/marketing/computer science teacher; James Howald, community member and parent alumni; Stephanie Markle, social studies teacher; and Theresa Phillips, board vice president. Photo by Jackie Burhans.
Lewis-Palmer D38 Board of Education, March 20
Proposed pay schedule introduced By Harriet Halbig The Lewis-Palmer D38 Board of Education received detailed information about a proposed pay schedule for the 2023-24 school year and discussed developments in the Portrait of a D38 Graduate and Portrait of a D38 Educator during its March 20 meeting.
Pay schedule discussion
Chief Business Officer Brett Ridgway introduced a draft pay schedule for the upcoming school year. Ridgway explained that the Parent and Community Advisory Commit-
tee and Staff Collaboration Committee contributed to the development of the schedule by offering suggestions on priorities as the schedule was developed. The schedule was based on the assumption that the School Finance Act funding for the upcoming year will increase by 8% to $9,800 per pupil. This would result in an increase of $5.1 million to the district, of which $1.5 million would go to Monument Academy and $1 million would be set aside for capital maintenance and improvements.
By seeking efficiencies in spending and taking advantage of attrition among the staff, Ridgway was able to identify a potential additional $1.1 million in savings which could be applied to compensation. In response to input from the Staff Collaboration Committee (SCC), certain inclusions were added in creating the schedule. These included a program to provide bonuses for longevity, restoration of steps frozen during the pandemic, reduction in the number
D38 (Cont. on 2)
El Paso Board of County Commissioners, Feb. 28 and March 21
Board hears calls to set aside Flying Horse North decision amid impropriety concerns By Helen Walklett At the Feb. 28 El Paso Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) meeting, a citizen raised concerns of possible impropriety during the November 2022 BOCC hearing on the Flying Horse North (FHN) revised sketch plan.
Citizen raises impropriety concerns relating to hearing
Philip Shecter, an FHN resident, raised concerns at the Feb. 28 meeting about possible impropriety during the November 2022 BOCC revised sketch plan hearing for the development. He
drew attention to campaign contributions received by Commissioners Cami Bremer, Carrie Geitner, and Holly Williams from the FHN developer and his affiliates.
COUNTY (Cont. on 9)